The invention relates to a ferrule container for holding a multiple optical fiber disposed in a ferrule, and to a connecting configuration for connecting multiple optical fibers.
Rising data rates and transmission bandwidths are increasingly being implemented in modern data communications and telecommunications. The limits of performance of purely electronic systems have already been reached. In order to be able to handle the data rates that will be required in the future, operations are turning more and more to optical transmission systems. Thus far, individual fiber connections have been the prevailing way of approaching a solution for these systems, since previously lasers that were used could only be produced as individual components. With modern lasers, cost-effective, so-called laser arrays can be produced and tested, so that there is an increasing shift in optical transmission systems from serial transmission to parallel transmission.
Existing ferrule containers and connecting configurations for connecting multiple optical fibers are disadvantageous because only low packing densities can be achieved. Moreover, electric connector systems cannot be integrated in the existing connecting configurations. Finally, the flexibility of the existing connecting configurations is limited, and this necessitates complicated configurations to enable simultaneous connection of optical conductors arriving with different orientations.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a ferrule container and a connector for connecting optical fibers, which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantageous of the heretofore-known devices of this general type.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a ferrule container and a connector for connecting multiple optical fibers so that a high packing density can be obtained.
Furthermore, the aim is to achieve a high flexibility, in which case optical and electrical connections are to be provided as far as possible in one system. A simple connection of multiple optical fibers is also to be ensured, the aim being to observe the narrow tolerances for optical connections.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a ferrule container for holding a plurality of ferrules retaining a multiplicity of optical fibers. The ferrule container includes outer walls defining a plurality of parallel ferrule passageways for holding a plurality of ferrules, and a ferrule holder including a spring holder and a compression spring. The spring holder and one of the outer walls are formed with mutually cooperating structure including a latching nose and a latching nose opening cooperating to orient and hold the spring holder in at least one of the ferrule passageways.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the ferrule container is constructed such that a plurality of optical fibers respectively disposed in ferrules can be held. Because of this configuration, a high packing density can be obtained, since a single ferrule container is already sufficient enough for connecting a plurality of multiple optical fibers. It is advantageously possible to hold both ferrules with multiple fibers and ferrules with single fibers together in the ferrule container according to the invention. It is also conceivable, furthermore, to accommodate both optical and electrical connections together in one ferrule container.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the ferrule container according to the invention advantageously has ferrule passageways or shafts extending parallel to one another for holding the ferrules. The ferrule shafts have at least in each case one, in particular operable, ferrule holding device for fixing the ferrules.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the ferrule holding device is subdivided into a spring holder which can be held in a ferrule shaft, into a compression spring, and into spring holder latching noses provided in the holding shaft. The spring holder latching noses advantageously being of operable construction. With the aid of such a ferrule holding device, it is possible for a ferrule to be fastened in the ferrule container in a particularly simple fashion. The provision of a compression spring acting on the ferrule ensures backlash compensation. To be specific, the compression spring is disposed between the ferrule and the spring holder such that the ferrule is pressed by the compression spring against a stop in the ferrule shaft. If the free end face of the ferrule comes into contact with the free end face of the multiple optical fibers of a further ferrule, the ferrule can escape rearward into the ferrule container against the deformation of the compression spring and compensate for positional inaccuracies in this way.
If the spring holder latching noses are constructed in an operable fashion, the ferrule can be removed from the ferrule container in a simple way. On the other hand, it is possible in a simple way for a ferrule to be mounted in the ferrule container with the aid of the ferrule container thus constructed.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the ferrule container has on the outside, locking elements which are constructed such that the ferrule container can be fixed, particularly detachably, in a board housing or in a connecting housing. As a result, it is possible to achieve a firm connection between the ferrule container and a board housing or a connecting housing. When a connecting housing is provided, reliable connections that can quickly be loosened are achieved between multiple optical fibers with an extremely high packing density.
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, a plurality of ferrule shafts are provided with a rectangular inner shape. Two ferrule shafts can then be disposed such that one of their longer inner edges are in each case situated directly next to one another. The result is a ferrule container with a particularly high packing density. In this case, the ferrule container essentially has a square outer shape in cross section. Consequently, it is possible to achieve a standardized design of the ferrule container according to the invention, with the result that connecting configurations of a modular type can be assembled in a simple way. Precisely in the case of a ferrule container with an essentially square cross section, it is advantageous when outside of the ferrule container are provided ferrule container coding elements which are constructed such that they can be used to establish an insertion direction of the ferrule container in a board housing or in a connecting housing. It is therefore possible to avoid mounting errors from the very start in a simple way if the correct orientation is established as early as when designing a connecting configuration.
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the ferrule container can also have a rectangular outer shape. Consequently, of a total of four possible positions of the ferrule container in a connecting element only two orientations are left, resulting in a particularly simple coding.
Again, by providing appropriate coding elements it is also possible for the ferrule container to be coded in terms of direction on the board side, on the side of the cable plug and/or, in particular, also on the side of the spring holder if present.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, a shield against electromagnetic influences is also provided in the region of the plug-in shaft or the plug-in shafts and/or in the region outside of the ferrule container. It is precisely in the case of combined provision of electrical and optical connections that a reliable shielding is thereby ensured for the electrical connections, and that trouble-free operation of the ferrule container is ensured.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the ferrule container according to the invention has in the region of an end face, at least one guide bore into which a guide pin can be inserted. In this way, a plurality of ferrules can be aligned with one another via a single pair of guide pins/guide bores.
In accordance with still a further feature of the invention, up to two multiple fiber ferrules can be installed in a ferrule container. It is particularly advantageous in this case that trouble-free functioning of a connecting configuration with two ferrules which are to be intercoupled in each case requires only one ferrule shaft to be fitted with the two ferrule containers necessary therefor. In this way, a maximum packing density of the optical conductors is combined with a maximum flexibility with regard to the use of the ferrule containers according to the invention.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is also provided, in accordance with the invention, a connector for connecting optical fibers that includes a ferrule container for holding a first ferrule having an end face and retaining a multiplicity of optical fibers, a board housing for holding the ferrule container, and a bushing housing for holding a second ferrule having an end face and retaining a multiplicity of optical fibers. The board housing and the bushing housing are constructed to mate in a mating state for connecting the first ferrule and the second ferrule such that the end face of the first ferrule bears against the end face of the second ferrule. The connector also includes a first locking device for detachably connecting the ferrule container to the board housing, and a second locking device for detachably connecting the ferrule container to the bushing housing. The first locking device is constructed to be in a loosened condition and the second locking device is constructed to be in a locked condition when the board housing and the bushing housing are in the mating state. The first locking device is constructed to be in a locked condition when the board housing and the bushing housing are not in the mating state.
It is possible with this connector to produce a high packing density simultaneously with a large tolerance margin. This is important, in particular, in the case of applications in which a device of modular construction is used with a plurality of plug-in printed circuit board modules and a common carrier plate for the plug-in printed circuit board modules. It must be possible for the printed circuit boards to be interconnected and connected to the outside optically and, if appropriate, also electrically. The person skilled in the art denotes the plane of the carrier plate of the individual printed circuit boards as xe2x80x9cbackplanexe2x80x9d, while the plane of a plug-in printed circuit board module is denoted as xe2x80x9cboardxe2x80x9d. In this case, the invention is based on the finding, essential to the invention, that it is very important to split up the connector into the components of a xe2x80x9cferrule containerxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cboard housingxe2x80x9d and the xe2x80x9cbushing housingxe2x80x9d, attached in the region of the backplane, for such a tolerance compensation. To be precise, it is possible by such a splitting up of the individual parts to achieve a firm connection between a ferrule container and the printed circuit board during transportation of a plug-in printed circuit board module. This is because the ferrule container is connected to the board housing. When the plug-in printed circuit board module is introduced onto the carrier plate with the bushing housing provided thereon, it is then possible to make a firm connection between the ferrule container and the bushing housing, while the connection between the ferrule container and board housing is undone. As a result, the printed circuit board can be displaced to a large extent with reference to the carrier plate without having a negative effect on a connection between a ferrule on the board side and a reciprocal ferrule.
In accordance with an added mode of the invention, the connecting configuration according to the invention can also be used to make a reliable overhung connection between multiple optical conductors which can nevertheless be quickly loosened. Connecting configurations which can be loosened and are operable in a simple way can be produced by splitting up the connecting configuration into a ferrule container, a board housing and a bushing housing. The connection between a ferrule container disposed on a board housing and a ferrule container disposed on the bushing housing is made and undone again by virtue of the fact that the board housing is moved inside the bushing housing in order to interlock the two ferrule containers.
In accordance with an additional mode of the invention, there is provided a first locking device, which can be loosened, for providing a force-closed connection of the first ferrule container and board housing, and a second locking device, which can be loosened, for providing a force-closed connection of the first ferrule container and the bushing housing. In this case, xe2x80x9cwhich can be loosenedxe2x80x9d means that it is possible to switch between a locked and a loosened state of the first ferrule container in the board housing and in the bushing housing, respectively. In the locked state, the result is an essentially firm connection between the ferrule container and board housing and the bushing housing, respectively. In the loosened state of the locking device the ferrule container can essentially move freely inside the board housing and inside the bushing housing, respectively.
In accordance with another mode of the invention, in the inter-mated state of the board housing and bushing housing, the first locking device is in the loosened state and the second locking device is in the locked state. In the mutually separated state of the board housing and bushing housing, the first locking device is in the locked state. The second locking device does not come into action in the mutually separated state of the board housing and bushing housing.
It is advantageous in this case that the first locking device is constructed such that it can be brought from a loosened state into a locked state by a movement of the board housing in the direction away from the bushing housing. It also being possible, in particular, for this to be performed automatically in the course of the movement of the board housing. In the case of a movement of the board housing in the direction toward the bushing housing, by contrast, the first locking device can advantageously be brought into a loosened state. It also being possible for this to be performed automatically solely on the basis of the movement of the board housing in the direction toward the bushing housing. These refinements ensure that in the separated state of the board housing and bushing housing, the first locking device is in the locked state, whereas in the case of the inter-mated state of the board housing and the bushing housing, the first locking device is in the loosened state.
In accordance with a further mode of the invention, the second locking device is preferably constructed such that it can be brought into a locked state by a movement of the board housing in the direction toward the bushing housing, and thus that it makes a firm connection between the first ferrule container and bushing housing. It is provided in this case that the second locking device automatically goes over into a locked state when the board housing is moved in the direction toward the bushing housing. By contrast, in the case of a movement of the board housing in the direction away from the bushing housing, the second locking device is brought into a loosened state. The previous operations of the second locking device are provided, in particular, in this case such that they are performed automatically in the case of a movement of the board housing.
In accordance with a concomitant mode of the invention, for the purpose of latching the first locking device, snap-action hooks are provided in the region of the ferrule container, and board housing latching noses are provided in the region of the board housing. Furthermore, the first locking device can have first ejector noses provided in the region of the bushing housing. This promotes automated operation and/or automated loosening of the first locking device.
Likewise, the second locking device can have snap-action hooks provided in the region of the ferrule container, and bushing housing latching noses can be provided on the side of the bushing housing. It is also possible to provide second ejector noses in the region of the bushing housing as well in order to loosen the second locking device.
Automated operation of the second locking device is ensured by the above construction. A particularly simple connecting configuration results in this case if the snap-action hooks of the second locking device and the run-up steps are formed by the same structures.
The invention described here permits the design of an optical connector system with a very high packing density. It is possible in this case both to design the invention as a stand-alone solution, and to integrate the invention into already existing electrical systems. The tolerances occurring in electrical connector systems are absorbed in such a way that the tolerances necessary for optical connections can be obtained. In addition, owing to its modular and symmetrical design, the invention offers the possibility of being able to cover all applications occurring in practice. The solution according to the invention provides a connector or a connecting configuration which is capable of ensuring both the large axial tolerances of several millimeters for electrical systems, and the low axial tolerances of a few micrometers for optical connections. As a result, even instances of sagging inside the backplane can be compensated, resulting in an extremely high packing density.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a ferrule container for holding a multiple optical fiber arranged in a ferrule, and a connecting arrangement for connecting multiple optical fibers, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.